Kiwi plant named ‘AU Fitzgerald’

ABSTRACT

A new and distinct cultivar of the species  Actinidia deliciosa  A. Chev. is described. The parentage of this new cultivar is unknown, but it is most likely an open pollinated ‘Haywood’ as it was grown from seed collected from fruit purchased in a grocery store. The new cultivar is distinguished by a lower chilling requirement and higher yields, smaller fruit with a greater length times diameter ratio, and the fruit has a lower pH and higher titratable acidity, % soluble solids, % dry matter, reducing and total sugars, total and reduced form of ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin C antioxidant capacity and cellular capacity to reduce free radicals is higher, lower levels of β-carotene, higher chlorophyll levels (a and b), lower phenolic content and higher flavonoid content than the comparison cultivar ‘Hayward’ in Alabama.

RELATED APPLICATIONS

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/150,857, filed on April 30, 2008,and entitled “Kiwi plant named ‘AU Authur’” is incorporated by referenceherein.

Latin name of the genus and species of the plant claimed: Actinidiadeliciosa A. Chev.

Variety denomination: ‘AU FITZGERALD’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

‘Hayward’ is the most commercialized female kiwi cultivar grown andmarketed in the world. The ‘Hayward’ cultivar is produced commerciallyin California in the U.S. and in New Zealand, and is the kiwi fruit mostoften found in U.S. grocery stores. Attributes of the ‘Hayward’ cultivarthat have led to its dominance of the kiwi market in the past are itsdistinctive green flesh, good flavor and long storage life. It is notknown what male cultivar was used to pollinate the female flowers thatproduced the fruit and seed that resulted in the new cultivar. ‘Matua’and ‘Tomuri’ are two male cultivars frequently used.

Both the ‘Hayward’ cultivar and the present invention are deciduousvines of Actinidia deliciosa A. Chev. The Actinidia deliciosa speciesoriginated in China and parts of Asia and is known as the Chinesegooseberry. Plant material of this species was taken to New Zealandwhere new cultivars such as ‘Hayward’ were developed. Due to theappearance of the fruit of the Chinese gooseberry, it was given the namekiwi fruit in New Zealand after the native kiwi bird.

Many plantings of the ‘Hayward’ cultivar were established in Alabama aswell as the adjoining southeastern states. These plantings wereestablished near the coast in most cases. The vines grew vigorously butwere unfruitful. In Alabama, research plantings were established indifferent locations that varied from the coast to the center of thestate. The location that the kiwi have been most productive is in thecenter of the state in Chilton County where the commercial peachindustry is located. The ‘Hayward’ cultivar has not been productivethere.

Research has shown that the ‘Hayward’ cultivar requires at least 900hours of chilling for sufficient vegetative budbreak and flowerdevelopment and that 1150 hours chilling is required for maximumflowering. From chilling requirement research, flower abortion decreasedas chilling hours received increased for all cultivars.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

Mrs. A. A. Fitzgerald of Summerdale, Ala. purchased kiwi fruit from alocal grocery store and planted some seeds from the fruit. She ended upwith one female and one male plant that bloomed together, were veryproductive and matured a crop of quality fruit. The fruit purchased wasprobably from the ‘Hayward’ cultivar.

The present invention relates to a new and distinctive kiwi cultivarhaving a generally cylindrical shaped fruit that has brown skin coveredwith medium length brown hairs that strongly adhere to the skin surface.The pericarp of the fruit is green.

In the climate of central Alabama, vegetative bud break occurs duringthe last two weeks of March and the bloom period occurs during the lastweek of April and the first two weeks of May, depending on the climateduring the season. The fruit reaches a minimum percent soluble solidslevel of 6.5 in central Alabama by mid-October.

The seed from which ‘AU Fitzgerald’ originated from was originallyplanted at Summerdale, Ala., near the Gulf Coast in Baldwin County. Itwas very fruitful at its original location indicating it has a lowerchilling requirement than the ‘Hayward’. ‘AU Fitzgerald’retained astatistically greater number of flowers than ‘Hayward’ at 700, 800 and1000 chilling hours received. The data indicates that ‘AU Fitzgerald’has a lower chilling requirement than ‘Hayward’, which explains thegreater fruit set and yield of ‘AU Fitzgerald’ compared to ‘Hayward’ inAlabama.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a photograph of hanging fruit of the ‘AU Fitzgerald’ cultivar.

FIG. 2 is a photograph of vines with fruit of the ‘AU Fitzgerald’cultivar.

FIG. 3 is a photograph of fruit of the ‘AU Fitzgerald’ cultivar and the‘Hayward’ cultivar.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The new cultivar ‘AU Fitzgerald’ is pistillate, with imperfect flowers,e.g. the flowers produce only sterile pollen and thus require apollinizer for fruit production. Two A. deliciosa pollinizers, ‘Matua’and ‘AU Authur’ have been used to pollinize ‘AU Fitzgerald’.

The new cultivar is able to be asexually reproduced by softwood andhardwood cuttings or by grafting or budding on to a seedling or cuttinggrown rootstock. The new cultivar was asexually reproduced at theChilton Area Research and Extension Center at Clanton, Ala., US. Theinstant plant was grafted on a rootstock named Bruno. The uniquecharacteristics come true to form and are established and transmittedthrough succeeding asexual propagations.

The distinctive characteristics of this new kiwi cultivar described indetail below have been observed in a replicated field experiment at theChilton Area Research and Extension Center at Clanton, Ala., US. Theplants were one year old rooted cuttings when planted. The ‘Hayward’cultivar was evaluated in the same replicated field experiment and wasused as the standard cultivar for comparison.

Both the ‘AU Fitzgerald’ and ‘Hayward’ have a fruit shape in crosssection that is generally cylindrical. However, the ‘AU Fitzgerald’fruit is oblong to slightly ovate, whereas the ‘Hayward’ fruit is morebroad elliptic to oblong. ‘AU Fitzgerald’ has a greater fruit length todiameter ratio. The shoulder on the stalk end of the fruit of eachcultivar is rounded and flat and the stylar end of the fruit is flat andflush. The cultivars do not differ in flesh or skin color as measured bythe Minolta calorimeter and The Royal Horticulture Society's ColourChart (2001); however, higher chlorophyll a and b content were measuredin ‘AU Fitzgerald’ and higher β-carotene content was measured in‘Hayward’.

‘AU Fitzgerald’ has a lower chilling requirement, smaller fruit size,greater fruit length to diameter ratio, greater fruit set and crop load,and the fruit has a lower pH and higher titratable acidity, % solublesolids, % dry matter, reducing and total sugars, total and reduced formof ascorbic acid (Vitamin C), Vitamin C antioxidant capacity andcellular capacity to reduce free radicals is higher, lower levels ofβ-carotene, higher chlorophyll levels (a and b), lower phenolic contentand higher flavonoid content than the comparison cultivar ‘Hayward’ inAlabama.

The table below illustrates the specific differences between the ‘AUFitzgerald’ cultivar and the ‘Hayward’ cultivar.

TABLE I Comparison of ‘AU Fitzgerald’ and ‘Hayward’ cultivars. ‘AUFitzgerald’ ‘Hayward’ Plant Plant: sex expression female (flowersimperfect) Plant: ploidy hexaploid Plant: vigor medium Young shoot:hairs present Young shoot: medium density of hairs Young shoot: shorthirsute type of hairs Young shoot: medium anthocyanin coloration ofgrowing tip Young shoot: absent anthocyanin coloration of leaf axilPlant: average plant is a vine trained height and spread to grow on atrellis sys- tem. In the T-bar system rows are spaced 16 feet apart andplants are planted 8 feet apart in the row. The trellis is 6 feet wide.The vines are very vigorous and will cover the trellis by the end of thesecond year. To maintain and control the plant, the vines are pruned inthe dor- mant season and several times during the growing season. StemStem: coloration weak of leaf axil Stem: diameter medium Stem basediameter mean 16.7 mm mean 14.8 mm (range 15.6-18.7 mm) (range 14.6-15.1mm) Stem mid section mean 11.5 mm mean 10.4 mm diameter (range 11.3-11.8mm) (range 9.3-11.6 mm) Stem: dormant bud 7.4 mm (6.4-9.2 mm) 7.71 mm(7.1-9.1 diameter mm) Stem: color on upper dark brown (N199B) dark brown(200B) side of shoot Stem: character smooth of bark Stem: hairs presentStem: conspicuous- conspicuous ness of lenticels Stem: number of medium(258/sq cm) medium (239/sq cm) lenticels range (200-323/sq cm) range(181-329/sq cm) Stem: color of lenticels brownish-white Stem: size ofbud support medium Stem: visibility of bud almost buried (dormant canes)Stem: number of medium hairs visible on bud (dormant canes) Stem: leafscar length (mm) - 4.8 (range 3.8-5.4) width (mm) - 4.3 (range 3.7-5.8)Leaf (Mature) Leaf shape: orbicular to broadly orbicular to reni-cordate forme Leaf base shape: rounded to somewhat cordate, lobescordate, lobes small and small and touch- touching to slightly ing toslightly overlapping overlapping Leaf tip shape: round and shallowlyrounded, rarely cuspidate at tip refuse with broad cuspidate at tip Leafmargin: entire Leaf adaxial light-med green (147A), surface: glabrousexcept for sparse, un- branched hairs on veins Leaf abaxial light green(148A), light green (147B); surface: dense, stellate dense, stellatepubescence everywhere pubescence every- except along main where exceptalong veins which are densely main veins which tomentose with aredensely to- unbranched hairs mentose with un- branched hairs Leaf length(cm): 17(15.4-19.3)[15] 17.1(15.1-21.5)[15] Leaf width (cm):14(12.8-15.5)[15] 14.3(13.0-17.3)[15] Leaf ratio (l/w): 1.2(1.1-1.4)[15]1.2(1.0-1.7)[15] Leaf petiole 4.9(4.3-5.6)[15] 4.7(3.8-5.8)[15] length(cm): Leaf 1° vein pinnate; veins ter- organization: minating as smallextended points or mucros at leaf margins Leaf 2° vein ± parallelorganization: Leaf puckering: moderate weak Leaf variegation: none Leafspines on none lower leaf surface: Petiole: 200B Peduncle: 149B FlowerInflorescence#: mean 1.8 (range mean 1.0 (range 1-3) [23] 1-1) [17] 1°Pedicel length (cm): 4.9(3.8-6.0)[13] 5.0(3.8-5.8)[16] 2° Pedicel length(cm): 2.4(1.8-3.2)[13] n/a Pedicel pubescence: minutely, denselytomentose, un- branched Sepal#: 6.4(4-10)[10] 6.3(5-8)[15] Sepal color:152D greenish-tan Sepal pubescence: minutely, densely tomentose, un-branched Flower color: 10D Flower width (cm): 6.4(5.3-7.5)[17]5.6(4.8-6.0)[13] Petal orientation: overlapping: sides reflexed Petal#:6.7(5-10) [23] 7.3 (6-9) [14] Petal length (cm): 2.8(2.2-3.3)[20]2.6(2.3-3.1)[20] Petal width (cm): 2.4(1.8-2.9)[20] 2.0(1.5-2.7)[20]Petal ratio (l/w): 1.2(1.0-1.4)[20] 1.3(1.1-1.8)[20] Petal arrangement:overlapping Ovary shape: globose to oblong globose Ovary pubescence:strongly expressed (minutely, densely pilose, unbranched) Style#:Average 32 >20 Range 29-36 Style orientation: upright to spreadingStamen#: Average 170 >40 Range 160-190 Anther length (mm): 2.5-3.52.0-3.0 Chilling requirement <800 1150 hours: Filament: 10C Anther: 21BStyle: 10C Fruit Fruit: average size (g) 60.2 77.9 (50.4-75.0)(64.1-89.7) Fruit: length (mm) 64.3 63.3 (57.0-69.8) (61.0-65.2) Fruit:width (max) (mm) 43.7 49.0 (40.7-46.5) 47.1-50.8 Fruit: L/A ratio 1.461.29 (max width) Fruit: width (min) (mm) 38.5 44.8 34.9-41.3 42.6-46.2Fruit: L/D ratio 1.68 1.42 (min width) Fruit: core diameter 13.9 12.4(max) (mm) (5.0-24.3) (7.5-14.9) Fruit: core diameter 6.7 9.9 (min) (mm)(3.3-15.0) (4.6-18.8) Fruit: locule number 37.9 38.4 (31-51) (31-46)Fruit: peduncle length 59.6 46.88 (mm) 50.7-64.7 38.6-55.9 Fruit:peduncle width 2.3 2.8 (mm) (1.7-2.7) (2.3-3.2) Fruit: general shapecylindrical, ovate cylindrical, oblong Fruit: cross-section round atmedian Fruit: general shape flat, flush of stylar end Fruit: skin colorat 199A harvest Fruit: skin color change absent during ripening Fruit:skin color at brown maturity for consumption Fruit: hairs present Fruit:density of hairs medium Fruit: types of hairs hirsute Fruit: hair length(mm) medium (1.1-2.5) Fruit: concentration of uniform hairs Fruit:adherence of strong hairs to skin (when rubbed) Fruit: core diameterlarge (14.5 mm by (at largest diameter) 7.0 mm) Fruit: core shapeelliptical (in cross section) Fruit: core woody spike present Fruit:prominence of core medium woody spike Fruit: outer pericarp 147B colorat maturity for consumption Fruit: inner pericarp 148B color (locules)at ma- turity for consumption Fruit: core color at 147D maturity Fruit:seed color at 202A maturity in flesh Fruit: seed color N199D when dryPhysiochemical and Antioxidant Characteristics at Harvest pH 3.83 3.89 %Titratable Acidity 0.61 0.49 (TA) % Soluble Solid 7.40 5.90 (SS)Sugar/Acid Ratio 12.10 12.30 (SS/TA) Firmness (kg) 6.05 6.27 % drymatter 20.10 17.30 Sugar (mg/g.fw) Reducing sugar 25.87 16.01Non-reducing sugar 11.59 18.63 Total sugar 37.46 34.64 Vitamin C (mg/100g.fw) Total ascorbic acid 74.49 70.13 Ascorbic acid 67.10 61.15Dehydroascorbic acid 7.39 8.98 TAA ratio % Hayward 1.06 1.00 AA ratio toTAA 0.90 0.82 Antioxidant Vitamin C equivalent 92.00 68.50 antioxidantcapacity (VCEAC) (mg/100 g.fw) Total Vit C/Total anti- 0.81 1.02 oxidantratio (%) - X DPPH (mg/100 g.fw) 168.90 129.60 β-carotene (mg/100 g.fw)0.38 0.42 β-carotene ratio to 0.90 1.00 Hayward Chlorophyll a + b ratio1.05 1.00 to Hayward Chlorophyll a (mg/ 0.97 0.91 100 g.fw) Chlorophyllb (mg/ 0.53 0.53 100 g.fw) Chlorophyll a + b 1.50 1.44 (mg/100 g.fw)Sensory Characteristics at Consumption Stage % Soluble Solids (SS) 16.4014.10 % Dry matter 19.05 17.30 Firmness(kg) <0.12 <0.12 Total Phenolicsand Total Flavonoids at Consumption Stage Total phenolics (mg 88.5094.20 GAE/100 g.fw) Total flavonoids 28.90 27.00 (mg CE/100 g.fw)Notes regarding Table I:1. Horticulture terminology is used in accordance with revised UPOVguidelines for kiwi.2. Characters of comparison cultivar ‘Hayward’ are noted opposite thatcharacter when significantly different.3. ‘Hayward’ plants were observed in the same replicated study as thenew cultivar.4. All dimensions are in millimeters unless otherwise stated; weightsare in grams.

1. A new and distinct variety of Actinidia deliciosa plant named ‘AUFitzgerald’, substantially as described and illustrated herein.